Lilly acquires inflammatory firm Ventyx Biosciences for $1.2bn deal

Eli Lilly and Company has acquired the US biopharma firm Ventyx Biosciences to strengthen its inflammatory disease product portfolio.

The $1.2 billion deal will give the pharma company access to oral small molecule therapies for inflammatory-mediated conditions including cardiometabolic, neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases.

Ventyx’s pipeline of NLRP3 inhibitors includes two phase II candidates. VTX2735 is in development for recurrent pericarditis and VTX3232 recently showed significant clinical reductions in cardiovascular risk factors. 

Raju Mohan, PhD, Chief Executive Officer of Ventyx Biosciences, said: “Our portfolio of class-leading NLRP3 inhibitors modulate residual and chronic inflammation that is now recognised as a major risk factor in a host of neuroinflammatory, cardiometabolic and cardiovascular diseases.

“We believe that Lilly is an ideal strategic partner, with unparalleled resources, a passion for innovative oral drugs and a commitment to advance novel therapies that fill a vast unmet need for patients suffering from these debilitating diseases and disorders.”

The biopharma company also has two inflammatory bowel disease candidates in phase II development: tamuzimod (VTX002), a S1P1R modulator, and the TYK2 inhibitor VTX958.

Alongside its acquisition of Ventyx, Lilly is enhancing its manufacturing capabilities with a new US facility. The announcement last month is part of four planned sites aimed at strengthening its domestic onshoring efforts following continued pressure from the US administration around its tariff policies.

The deal between Lilly and Ventyx is expected to close in the first half of 2026, subject to the closing of customary closing conditions.

It marks the latest move in a recent uptick in pharmaceutical acquisitions, including those by Amgen, Johnson and Johnson (J&J) and Sanofi. Like Lilly’s present deal, Amgen recently agreed a small molecule-focused acquisition with Dark Blue Therapeutics.

In December, Sanofi acquired Dynavax Technologies for $2.2 billion to advance vaccines for adults and November saw J&J acquire Halda Therapeutics for $3.05 billion in an oncology-focused agreement.